The goals of the University of Michigan George M. O'Brien Renal and Urologic Center are to promote research into questions of importance to the kidney and urologic community, to exchange ideas and information about these areas, and to recruit new individuals to work in kidney and urologic diseases. Good progress has been made in the prior four years of support in each of these areas. Exciting individual research accomplishments set the scene for the current research proposals. These include addressing the following questions: a) the mechanism by which glycine protects cells against various types of injury; b) the regulation of tubular cell differentiation; c) type IV collagen gene regulation: d) looking for the function of newly cloned, sequenced and expressed endothelial cell cytokine: e) cloning, sequencing and defining the role of a new glomerular epithelial cell protein; f) defining the contribution of adhesion proteins and cytokines to acute glomerular injury; g) using novel inhibitors of glycosphingolipid synthesis to define their effects and potential for clinical use on renal carcinoma cell surface adhesion protein expression and metastatic potential; h) defining the interactions of glucose transporters, ATP-sensitive potassium channels and purinergic receptors on afferent arteriolar tone and renin secretion using quantitative PCR and other approaches. These individual projects will form the core and critical mass about which the activities of the Center revolve with respect to its' other important functions of teaching/exchange of information and recruiting young investigators into kidney/urologic research.